Frt. Sight Visibility VS Magna-port

BACKGROUND: The gun is a replacement for a stolen 4" S&W 25-5 in '90. The 4" version were scarce (none in my area). The Gun List (remember them) had a listing by a gun shop in Florida. This before the days of sending & receiving photos (by me anyway), so I phoned the shop & they seemed honest (and they were). I bought it for $450.00.The gun is not a 4" 25-5, but very close & in many ways better. It started out life as a 25-2 & some very talented gunsmith (ID unknown.....suspected to be Magna-port) installed a S&W 4" 1955 magna-ported bbl. & fitted an extra .45 Colt cylinder. I "breathed" on the action, converted it to a RB grip (I think I heard some of you cringe) & recontoured the target trigger. It's very accurate with both cylinders.

PROBLEM: The 1955 bbl. has a very dark red insert (I assume this is not factory). The blast from the Magna-port quickly eliminates any red color showing after a few shots. As a short term solution as I write this: a base coat of Testors white is drying. I have florescent orange or chartreuse for the final color. I lean toward the chartreuse, but figure the orange will withstand the darkening effect of the MP blast best.

Any suggestions for a long term solution & if so recommendations for a pistol-smith or pistol-smiths that can do the deed.

Any input is appreciated.

Henry

My 57-1 also has a darker red front sight just like that. IMO, the best fix is to have a gunsmith mill it off, and cut a dovetail in its place. If you want visibility, I would think a fiber optic would be decently protected from the soot from the port.

i am one of the very few that hates a red insert especially S&W inserts. I am not color blind either. I would paint it black and be happy.

Tap the Magna Port holes and insert short set screws to plug the holes. Problem fixed.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Dan Cash

Tap the Magna Port holes and insert short set screws to plug the holes. Problem fixed.

---

That would be an odd shaped screw....most Magna Ports are slots.
You should be able to change out the inserts.

Oldhenry, I am no fan of the red inserts either and on my 629 I had my smith install this green fiber sight and I've never regretted it.Attachment 256207

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by 44MAG#1

i am one of the very few that hates a red insert especially S&W inserts. I am not color blind either. I would paint it black and be happy.

---

Me too.

At least until my eyesight started to go bad. Now I find a quick touchup with a fluorescent orange paint pen works wonders on being able to see a front sight.

Robert

I really appreciate all of the response.

Rick Hodges is correct: the Magna-ports are slots, so I'm stuck with them. I would have preferred that they not be there.

I'll test my short term fix with the bright orange paint, but I think I'll end up with the same solution as Murf205. Murf, that is a very clean installation job on your 629. I would appreciate the name of the gunsmith that did that installation. Were you able to use the original rear sight?

Thanks to all.
Henry

Why would you go with a pinned sight vs a dovetailed sight. A dovetail sight is easy to replace. A pinned sight is a PITA.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by oldhenry

I really appreciate all of the response.

Rick Hodges is correct: the Magna-ports are slots, so I'm stuck with them. I would have preferred that they not be there.


Thanks to all.
Henry

---

In that case have a smith counter bore the ported section and fit a solid sleeve to block the ports.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by megasupermagnum

Why would you go with a pinned sight vs a dovetailed sight. A dovetail sight is easy to replace. A pinned sight is a PITA.

---

I'll look @ my Ruger GP100 .44 spec tomorrow. I'm assuming that it is pinned. I can't look now: my dog's bed is next to the safe & he's retired for the night.

Not to be a picker of nits; but the Magnaport slots are trapezoids( take that, geometry teacher!) and I’d either smoke that sight or mask it off and paint it flat black. My late buddy hated the red inserts so he heated the sight slowly with a heat gun and pushed out the melting red plastic. He cleaned the dovetail out and made a new insert of whatever color toothbrush handle he desired. The one on my wife’s S&W 67 is still bright red and she likes it so that settles it. Me, I prefer black sights- no dots, dashes, or light tubes. That will change as my eyes age- of that I am certain. I like your revolver A Lot.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by oldhenry

I'll look @ my Ruger GP100 .44 spec tomorrow. I'm assuming that it is pinned. I can't look now: my dog's bed is next to the safe & he's retired for the night.

---

Some distributer special's use a dovetail, but most Redhawk/GP100's use a push pin, quick change front sight.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by oldhenry

I really appreciate all of the response.

Rick Hodges is correct: the Magna-ports are slots, so I'm stuck with them. I would have preferred that they not be there.

I'll test my short term fix with the bright orange paint, but I think I'll end up with the same solution as Murf205. Murf, that is a very clean installation job on your 629. I would appreciate the name of the gunsmith that did that installation. Were you able to use the original rear sight?

Thanks to all.
Henry

---

I use Jimmy McCollough at McCollough Rifle Co in Valley Grand, Al. This old Marine can do it all and I mean ALL. He used to work for Walker Arms before they closed. He also re-barrels Mini 14's with a Douglas barrel and has some shooting under MOA, which is quite an accomplishment for one of those rifles.

Henry, I called the guy's at Hi-Viz and quizzed them about the front sight height and they made the recommendation based on my 4" barrel and using the factory rear sight. I went with the green because I occasionally wag this gun around in Alaska while fishing and hiking and the green stands out against a wet bear hide!

I sent my Security Six 6” in to Magna Port in the mid 1980’s, I paint my front sights yellow with Testors model paint. The darkening on the colored front sight could only be fixed by selling the gun. IMO the Magna Porting did not reduced muzzle rise at all. I was a peace officer at the time and needed the front sight visible in low light.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Texas by God

Not to be a picker of nits; but the Magnaport slots are trapezoids( take that, geometry teacher!) and I’d either smoke that sight or mask it off and paint it flat black. My late buddy hated the red inserts so he heated the sight slowly with a heat gun and pushed out the melting red plastic. He cleaned the dovetail out and made a new insert of whatever color toothbrush handle he desired. The one on my wife’s S&W 67 is still bright red and she likes it so that settles it. Me, I prefer black sights- no dots, dashes, or light tubes. That will change as my eyes age- of that I am certain. I like your revolver A Lot.

---

Good suggestion on the heat gun to remove the dark red insert. In the past Brownells sold colored epoxy kits that could be trimmed after curing (don't know if they do now). I'm 80 & need some color. A blacked out front would be OK if I was shooting @ a BE type target, but BE is not my game. I rarely shoot paper. Basically I'm an unrepentant combat shooter that dapples in IHMSA.

Regards,
Henry

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by murf205

I use Jimmy McCollough at McCollough Rifle Co in Valley Grand, Al. This old Marine can do it all and I mean ALL. He used to work for Walker Arms before they closed. He also re-barrels Mini 14's with a Douglas barrel and has some shooting under MOA, which is quite an accomplishment for one of those rifles.

---

Thanks for this valuable information.

I see you're in the "Dead center of Alabama". I visit the Barber Motorcycle Museum in Birmingham often: the largest in the world.

Regards,
Henry

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Silver Jack Hammer

I sent my Security Six 6” in to Magna Port in the mid 1980’s, I paint my front sights yellow with Testors model paint. The darkening on the colored front sight could only be fixed by selling the gun. IMO the Magna Porting did not reduced muzzle rise at all. I was a peace officer at the time and needed the front sight visible in low light.

---

I agree about the Magna-port not reducing muzzle rise. Recoil is about the same as the stolen 4" 25-5 w/o the MP.

I may be wrong but it seems to me that any sight you put near those magnaport slots is going to get smoked and be just like what you have.
That gun might be a good candidate for a red dot sight.